Why Suffering?

Suffering and evil in the world have sparked questions and debates and led people to change their understanding of the world, of reality, of God and of themselves. The questions have been around for millennia, and today they present some of the greatest challenges to Christian faith. Being prepared to give a response specifically to the question of suffering is necessary for all Christians today who want to be able to help others understand that despite the evil we observe in this world, we have abundant reason to trust that God is there and that he is good.

This course will take on the problem of evil from many different perspectives. It will look at challenges from the highest level of academic philosophy, and will attempt to help students learn to engage with individuals around them who are in the midst of pain and suffering. This is an immensely important and often extremely difficult subject. The challenge to articulate the reasons for confidence in God’s existence and his goodness is greater today than ever before. This course is a great place to learn the most effective way to begin conversations with people who are asking questions about suffering, and who need to know that God is real and he cares and we can trust him.

This course features lectures from 10 of our itinerant speakers representing 5 different RZIM offices. Ravi, Vince Vitale, Jo Vitale, Naomi Zacharias, Christian Hofreiter and many more are featured in this 8-week elective course.